Cha-Ching: Wedding Registry Tips

So, you’re getting married. Let me be the first person (or the hundred and first person) to say congratulations. Planning a wedding can be hectic – getting a place, hiring a caterer, finding a photographer – but it can also be fun. The wedding registry, for example, is often an enjoyable part of the preparation.

Even so, from those who have never been married to those who have walked down more aisles than they care to count, registering for a wedding can still come with frustration. Follow our tips to make it as easy as possible, giving yourself a gift in the process.

Register at places with different price ranges: You may have expensive taste, refusing to shop at discount stores or even stores with items in the single digits. Well, now is the time to get over it. Even if you have the taste of the rich and famous, not everyone shopping from your wedding registry may possess the financial means to appease you. For this reason, don’t just register at posh, pricey stores, also register at stores with reasonably priced inventory. If you must register at a Pottery Barn, also counteract by registering at a Target.

The items on your registry should be much more than the people on your guest list: A registry is great for the marrying couple, allowing you to get many of the items you want and need. But, just as your wedding will keep your guests in mind, so must your registry: to sum up, your guests need variety. The number of gifts on your wedding registry should be two or three times the number of people you’re inviting. This way, your guests have several choices of presents. Even if they purchase gifts at the last minute, they won’t get stuck buying the only item left: a two thousand dollar lamp made of diamonds and suspected pieces from the Holy Grail.

Be specific, very specific: You might not be the most detailed person: when you say you want a plate you may simply want – wait for it – a plate. But your wedding registry must be as specific as possible. This not only assures that you get things you truly want, but it also eliminates any guesswork for your guests. When you register for a bedroom set, for instance, specify things like color. Ending up with a forest green comforter when the rest of your bedroom is sky blue will probably result in you asking for a receipt, or wishing you were color blind.

Keep your registry up for a while: Even when the wedding is over and all of your gifts have been unwrapped and, oh yes, judged, you still won’t have everything you need. You’ll start to realize all sorts of little things on your registry, like a stapler, and big things, like a plasma television, weren’t purchased. But it’s not over yet. Keeping yourself registered for a year after your wedding allows you to get items two ways. First off, some of your guests, particularly the ones who couldn’t attend the wedding, might be a little late – or a year late – in sending presents. Secondly, many stores allow the bride and groom to purchase the leftover items on their registry for a discounted price.

Be yourselves: For anyone who has been to a lot of weddings, it’s pretty obvious that registries are a dime a dozen. Place settings, pots and pans, linens, and bath towels always seem to make an appearance. But just because so many people register for these items doesn’t mean you have to as well. If you don’t want a place setting, or don’t need one, don’t take your registry down that path. In short, don’t register for items just because it’s the thing to do. It’s your wedding so make it your own: only register for items you truly want and will use, even if this mean registering at a liquor store.